


Shatner/Pine Switch

by Ravxnclaw



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Bad TOS plotline, Fluff, M/M, Married McKirk, Old Married Space Gays, POV switch, Protective Bones, So Married, TOS/AOS switch, ion storms, mckirk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-06
Updated: 2016-12-06
Packaged: 2018-09-06 23:08:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8773069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravxnclaw/pseuds/Ravxnclaw
Summary: Pretty much Mirror, Mirror except TOS/AOS Jim are switched with each other instead of Mirrorverse.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was literally the first Trek fic I ever wrote so I'm sorry I know I'm awful  
> Necessary: I don't own Star Trek, Jim, Bones, the Enterprise, or anything else mentioned. I just love soft Jim Kirk too much.

`"Warp speed Mister Sulu!"  
"Captain, I don't think that's-"  
"Mister Sulu!" Jim barked, entirely sure in his decision.   
"Yes, captain." Sulu could feel the ship protesting around them, hell, anyone could tell that this was going to end badly, but what other choice did they have?  
A flash of light, an especially rough rock of the ship, and a strangled shout from Jim later, everything felt suspiciously normal. Sulu glanced around, taking in the way everyone was bracing themselves still despite the lack of movement. He had barely started running every possible type of scan to survey just how much damage had been done to the ship when he heard pounding footsteps making their way onto the bridge before skidding to a halt.   
"Where's Jim?!" Doctor McCoy's voice rang through the air, but on one answered. They all looked around as if he was just hiding, but by the look on the Doctor's face, Hikaru knew that something was seriously wrong.   
"How on god’s green earth do you _lose_ the Captain?!"  
\--  
Jim refused to open his eyes for a moment, they still stung from whatever had caused that bright flash. The ground felt oddly cool beneath him and it was totally silent, warning him that something had to be wrong. Cracking an eye open he saw a dozen eyes on him, none of them entirely friendly.   
"Who is he?" They were all far older than him and he instinctively reached out, feeling the familiar arm of the captain's chair. He pulled himself up and found himself among a mess of people wearing blue and yellow shirts, all of them staring at him as if he was the alien.  
"Is it-"  
"It can't be."   
"How could he be here?"  
"It's not like zis is ze strangest thing we've seen."   
"Jim?" Jim turned at the familiar accent, finding a man who, despite his suddenly increased age, was unmistakable. Scotty leaned over, eyeing him oddly as Jim launched at him, throwing his arms around the much older man's shoulder.   
"Scotty!" He cried, so many questions in his mind but at least he had Scotty.   
"Jim! What're ya doing here?" Scotty pulled back, holding Jim by his shoulders. "And why are ya...like that?"   
"Why are _you_ like that?" Jim asked, waving his hand around. He slowly started to recognize his own crew - Sulu, Chekov, Uhura, all of them aged far more than they had been when he saw them a few moments before. What had happened during that power surge or whatever it was, and why had he been spared?   
Tightening his grip on Scotty he moved closer, searching for Bones, and fearing the worst when he didn't see him.   
"Where is he?" Jim almost shouted, whirling back around to face Scotty. "Where's Bones?"   
Scotty laughed, wrapping an arm around Jim's shoulders and leading him away from the bridge. Jim followed him quickly, in a hurry to get away from the bridge that was both so familiar but had been through so many changes. What kind of dream was this, anyway? It couldn't be real, it just couldn't. Not even in space could everyone besides himself age that much, even his ship, while he remained the same.   
"So, how old are ya supposed to be anyway?" Scotty asked as he half carried Jim through the ship, in what Jim could only hope was the direction of Bones. If this was real, were they still together, or had he screwed that up too? If it was a dream, did it really matter?  
"Twenty nine." Jim answered automatically, seeing the med bay ahead of him and his heart lept. Bones was in there.   
"Holy hell." Scotty muttered as he leaned into the doorway, motioning for Jim to stay outside. "Doctor?"  
"Yes, mister Scott?" Oh gods, that was Bones, it had to be. His voice wasn't the same but it still held the same cynical edge that Jim had grown so accustomed to and all he wanted was to dissolve into his boyfriend, if he could even call this version of Bones that.   
"I think we might have a patient for you."   
With that he walked away, leaving Jim on his own. Somehow he felt both at home and completely lost; he knew that he was in the Enterprise, but it no longer felt like _his_ Enterprise.   
He looked up, searching for something that felt the same, and was met with the most familiar pair of blue eyes he'd ever seen. His knees felt weak and he took in every single little bit; the hair that was still so dark but streaked through with grey, the grim way his lips pressed together, the hypodermic needle in the pocket of pants, all of it was exactly the same, just with a few years added.   
What could he say? He had no idea that he had with this version of Bones, knowing nothing more than how in love he was with his own. His chest started to ache at the thought of his own Bones somewhere, not knowing what happened to him, and how it would feel if the positions were switched.   
"Jim?" Bones's hands were still as steady as ever as he gripped the edge of the table, his brow raising in a way that messed with Jim's ability to think. Could it really be Bones, his Bones? Could this be real?  
"Bones." He sighed and stepped forward, resting a hand on the older man's chest. His head was spinning and nothing was right but at least he had Bones, the one thing that felt right to him. At least he knew that if this situation was somehow real, Bones would age well.  
"Jim Kirk?" His fingers pressed professionally into Jim's temples, tilting his head back and forth to get a better look at him. Jim couldn't help but smile when he saw the blush rising in the doctor's face; it had to be real, it had to be Bones.   
"Good lord kid, I forgot how young you looked."   
"Now you're even more of an old man." Jim laughed, only to be met with Bones's fingers flicking his neck in the same spot he always seemed to stick the hypo.   
"It's you, all right." Bones muttered, turning and walking away from him. "But how? What are you doing here?" Jim noticed the way Bones seemed to be struggling, leaning against his desk. "Where's _my_ Jim?"  
Jim shook his head, unsure of how to answer. He had no idea, how was he supposed to answer when he didn't even know where he was?  
"Bones, are we-" he started then cleared his throat, unsure of how to ask as his fingers wagged uselessly between them. "Did we, you know-"  
"If you're trying to ask if we broke up, no." He said bluntly, forcing a deep blush over Jim's face as he met his gaze again. "Far from it."   
Jim chanced a glance down at Bones's hand and his suspicions were confirmed, there sat an old looking silver band on his definitely older hand.   
"Oh my god." Jim leaned against the cot, bracing himself. "This is real. I'm not dreaming. This is for real."   
"Of course it's real." Bones tilted Jim's head to the side and shined a light straight into his eye.   
"So we're married?" He asked breathlessly, noting the way he leaned into Bones's secure touch. It felt so good to have something to safe when he was so confused, to have his best friend with him.   
"Have been for quite some time now." He ran his fingers along Jim's throat, apparently checking all of his glands, leaving him speechless. He'd thought that he would get used to Bones's touch a long time ago, but after dating for six months and meeting a much older alter ego, but it didn't seem that way, they still sent the same tingles down his spine.   
"So, twenty nine." Bones commented with a smirk, making Jim's heart leap. "Are we, you know, together?"  
"Just hit six months." Jim answered with a nod, sitting down on the cot and wrapping an arm comfortably around Bones's waist. He didn't know what made him do it but he needed it, and it didn't count as cheating if it was his own husband. Boyfriend. Whatever.   
He felt Leonard hesitate before resting a hand on the back of his neck, letting him just lean into him for a moment. It felt different somehow; he was used to the general shape of Bones's body but this one had a little less muscle than the other, but it was still the same man.   
"What the hell's happening." Jim mumbled and gripped the bottom of Bones's shirt, holding him as close as possible.   
"I'm not sure, kid."  
\--  
 _"Jim!”_  
Leonard was shouting, rushing through the corridors to the bridge. He tore past the captain's chair, checking every inch of the room before concluding that Jim wasn't there anymore. He _knew_ something like this would happen; every time the ship rocked even the slightest bit, Jim found a way to get himself hurt.   
"Where is he?" Leonard grabbed Spock's shoulders, dragging him closer. He had to know, his chest was burning and he couldn’t quite feel his fingers because he knew something bad had happened. "You were here, where did he go?"  
"Doctor." Spock said coolly, sure fingers carefully loosening Leonard's grip on his shirt. "I wasn't able to see where he went."  
"He can't just be _gone."_ He was begging for someone to give him anything resembling an answer, but all he received was silent stares.  
“Come, Doctor. I'll help you back to your quarters.” Spock’s insistent arm pulled a stumbling Leonard from the room with little resistance, carefully helping him in the direction of the medical quarters.   
“I haven't been to my own quarters in months, Spock.” He mumbled, turning his body down the hallway. Spock’s forehead wrinkled as if he was thoroughly confused but Leonard couldn't summon the energy to correct him. He didn’t want to be alone in a bed he hadn’t slept in for weeks, he wanted to be somewhere that felt like home.  
“Captain’s quarters.” He corrected as he walked away from Spock, pulling himself together. He couldn't fall apart. He couldn't let Jim disappearing mess with him that badly, hell, Jim disappeared on almost a weekly basis.   
The captain’s quarters felt wrong when he was alone, but he pushed off that feeling as much as possible. Taking a deep drink from whatever bottle was left resting by the couch he slumped down, head in his hands.   
“Doctor?” Spock’s calm voice floated through the room but he didn't bother to look up.   
“I trusted you.” Leonard spit out as he took another drink, feeling his teeth grit together against the words he so badly wanted to keep in, they were too vulnerable. “I told you that I couldn't leave the Med Bay whenever and I trusted you to keep an eye on him for me!”   
“I just came to assure that you made it here.” With that he ducked out once again, leaving Leonard alone.   
What was he supposed to do? Jim did have a habit of disappearing but nine times out of ten it was based on a stupidly heroic choice, but this was different. He'd been listening over his comm when static started ringing through every speaker and screen, he knew something was wrong.   
How was he supposed to get Jim back if he didn't even know where he'd gone? How Could he even find out where he'd gone?   
Grabbing the bottle by the neck and ignoring the clean glasses, he made his way to the bed. _Jim’s_ bed. The bed where he'd woke up after many drunken nights before finally admitting that it had long ago stopped being an accident that he fell into bed with his Captain. The bed where he'd endured Jim’s cold toes pressing into his thighs and all of the blankets being stolen from him night after night, it was going to feel so wrong to be alone.   
Only, he wasn't alone. For a fleeting moment his heart stopped before he looked closer; the arm slung over the side of the bed, cold toes peeking out from under the blanket, and the entire comforter stolen onto one side of the bed.   
“Jim.”   
He breathed the name before stepping in, eyes as wide as possible. How has he gotten to bed? He couldn't see Jim’s face but from the position and quiet snores, he knew it had to be him. Who else would be such a selfish sleeper?  
“Jim!”   
The man sat up, and Leonard wanted to believe he'd had too much to drink. His hair was darker than Jim’s and disheveled, and there was an obvious age difference that he was unaccustomed to. Usually he was the old man in the situation, but as those blue eyes fell on him, his stomach dropped.   
“Who the hell are you?” Leonard demanded, his heart racing. He couldn't bring himself to believe it until he heard it from the man’s mouth, refused to believe it.   
“James Kirk.” He said surely, standing up out of the bed as he took in his surroundings. “Who are you?”   
“You're not Jim.” Leonard demanded, backing away. He was breathing much too hard and clutched the bottle in front of his chest defensively.   
“Who are you?” The man tilted his head in a very Jim Kirk™ manner and Leonard wanted to cry. The interested smile on his face and the way his fingers gripped defensively on the table as if ready to throw it at the first threat, it was Jim.   
“Sit still.” He ordered, pulling his bioscanner out of his pocket as he began to check over the man. He purposely avoided the question as he began scanning, looking for any type of physical anomalies or signs of his identity and noting the wedding band on his finger. He was a little shaken by the thought of Jim being married, but how could he even be sure of the man’s real name?   
“I asked who you were, young man.”   
Leonard let out a hysterical laugh at someone calling him a young man, he'd grown too used to Jim poking fun at his age for as long as they'd known one another. He’d always been the grumpy old man, the adult in the situation, and his brain was screaming for him to run from the situation and bury himself in finding his own Jim.  
“McCoy.” He muttered, his face surely draining of color as the automated voice rang clear _‘James T. Kirk, optimal health.’_  
“What was that?”   
Leonard looked up, his mouth falling open as he took in the truth. The same blue eyes, a hint of the same jawline, the same scar on his eyebrow that Leonard had healed himself, and the same Command gold. He was raising his eyebrow, a halfway healed cut on a lip that looked too familiar catching his attention and Leonard had to remind himself he couldn’t just run his thumb over it like his instincts told him too. Could it really be him?  
“Doctor McCoy.” Leonard spoke evenly, contemplating his own nervousness. Was he more afraid of being recognized, or not being recognized? Would this version of Jim know him? Where was his own Jim?  
_Who was this version of Jim married to?_  
“Bones?” The man grinned, and he knew that it had to be Jim. That stunning smile couldn't belong to anyone else, the one that could win awards and woo the deadliest of alien life forms into agreeing with him.   
Before he could answer he felt two strong arms grabbing him and wrapping him into the most comforting embrace he'd had all day. For a moment he fought it - what would Jim think? - but his brain reminded him that Jim knew, it was Jim Kirk hugging him at that moment.   
“Jim?” He whispered against the shoulder of the shirt, allowing himself to lean into the other man. He was sturdy and smelled like home, his dark blonde hair just as soft as it had always been.   
“Come on Bones, don't you recognize me?” He pulled back, gripping Leonard’s arms tight as his eyes scanned over his face. “How'd you get so young again, anyway?”   
“What?” Leonard laughed nervously, unsure of how to begin explaining something he didn’t understand himself. “How'd you get so old?”   
“You're the old one!” Jim insisted before he thought better of it. “Well, usually you are anyway.”   
“Follow me.”   
Leonard walked cautiously, always keeping the older Jim within his view. He seemed blissfully unaware of how serious the situation was; or, as he guessed by the Captain’s shirt the clearly older Jim was wearing, he'd long ago become accustomed to weird shit happening.   
“So, you're married?” Leonard said conversationally, but his voice sounded strange. He'd never been one for small talk, especially when the question had such an obvious double meaning.  
“Yeah.” Jim snorted, his fingers twisting the ring around his finger as if it was a habit he’d developed long ago, and Leonard’s stomach dropped. “Most stubborn man I've ever met, hell, when I met him he insisted he was straight, but I married him.”   
Leonard nodded to himself as they walked through the eerily empty hallways, though it made him sure that everyone would be checking every corner of the ship in search of either their Captain or the source of the surge. So Jim married someone, how long did he have left with him before he met his future husband, how long before he left Leonard?  
“Here, you wanna see a picture?” Jim offered and Leonard’s first reaction was a gut wrenching refusal. Obviously Jim would remember that they'd once been in a relationship, it made Leonard wonder just how badly things had ended between the two of them if he was willing to rub it in.   
“Sure.” He muttered spitefully, sticking out his hand and grabbing the picture from him. He thought better of his actions, the paper felt thin in his hands as if it’d been in Jim’s pocket a while and he had no intentions of ruining it out of jealousy.   
He stopped walking when he saw himself.   
It was a picture that hadn't yet been taken based on the very beginnings of silver starting in his hair, but it was him. Standing dumbly in the middle of the corridor he glanced up, only to see Jim grinning mischievously at him.   
“Good to see you never change.” He said gruffly, shoving the picture back in his direction to distract from his blushing face. “Still as dramatic as ever.”  
\--  
“Question.” Jim said, pulling Bones’s eyes up from his glass. He didn't answer but Jim forged on, knowing that if he needed to shut up, Bones had no trouble telling him so. “Am I still technically the Captain, and if so, mind showing me to my quarters?”   
Bones thought for a minute, reclining in his seat as if he had to contemplate it.  
“Well, you _are_ Jim Kirk, who is currently the captain of the Enterprise, so I can't see the harm.”   
Following close behind, Jim felt his heart racing. He might not have his own Bones but at least he had another version of him, which was far better than nothing at all. And he was _married,_ Jim Kirk, the supposed Academy slut, was married to his best friend, and couldn't help grinning at that.   
“I moved up here quite a while ago with you, well not you you but my you-” Bones shook his head, trailing off. “Anyway, only one bed, so I'll take the couch.”  
“No!” Jim held his hands up nervously in front of himself. “Your time, your bed, plus, we both know what a couch can do to an old man’s back.”   
With a smirk he watched Bones recede into the bedroom and recline onto the bed, and with a pang of guilt he realized that he wasn't the only one who’d had a hard day. Bones had lost his husband only to have it replaced with a younger and much more confused version, and his own Bones was somewhere, alone, with no idea about if his Jim was safe.   
He pulled his shirt over his head and rested on the couch, scooting around until he could find a comfortable position. It felt strange to be sleeping on the couch in his own quarters, but he wasn't about to make Bones sleep on the couch.   
The lights dimmed and he watched the older version of Bones going through the same motions he'd been seeing for months; walking out of the bathroom in old sweats, toothbrush hanging from his mouth as he placed his clothes in the hamper. He smiled to himself as he watched, reminding himself to make fun of his Bones for being such a creature of habit.   
His happiness was taken down a few notches at the thought of his own Bones. Would he even be able to get back to him? He tried to form a plan, but the idea of reversing something when even Scotty couldn’t figure out how it happened made his head hurt.  
“Here.” Bones offered, placing a throw blanket over Jim and for a moment he was embarrassed by his top half being unclothed before he reminded himself of just who he was with. He was with the person who had stitched, grafted, cleaned, and brought his body back to life countless times.  
He watched intently as Bones climbed back into bed, still sleeping on the same side of the bed, blankets rumpled on the other side. _His_ side. He couldn't help but wonder if his own Bones had found the older version of Jim somehow; what was he like? His stomach was doing nervous flips at the thought of his Bones finding out that they were married.   
For hours Jim tossed and turned, flipping open his comm and uselessly trying to send messages to Bones. He knew that the signal wouldn’t work but had to try anyway, fingers hovering over the letters and symbols as he tried to conjure up the right words to explain just how confused he was.   
“Bones?” He said in the darkness as he shook his head. Even as he hit send he mentally called himself an idiot for thinking that would work, but he couldn’t let such an easy option pass just in case it worked.   
“Bones, I love you.” _Dumb choice._ But he was flipping it open once again a few minutes later.   
**Me, 2436:** _I miss you._  
 **Me, 0103:** _Please be getting these._  
 **Me, 0124:** _I need to get home to you._  
 **Me, 0126:** _Leonard Horatio McCoy if you're getting these and not answering me I'm not marrying you._  
 **Me, 0149:** _I love you._  
Sitting up, Jim ran his hands angrily through his hair, stuck in an internal debate. He wanted his home; his own Bones, his bed, his life, but he had nothing. He was sleeping on a couch with his much older husband sleeping just a few feet away and was living a life he wouldn't have for a few decades. Nothing was really his, but it wasn't anyone else’s.  
 _It’s just a comfort thing,_ he told himself as he walked across the room, though the almost entirely drained bottle in his hand said otherwise.   
_I just need a little piece of home,_ he rationalized as he gingerly climbed into his own bed, setting the now empty bottle on the bedside table.   
_I miss my Bones,_ he thought before swaddling himself in blankets, glad to finally be somewhere that felt like home.   
_I love Bones,_ he might've said that one aloud but he couldn't tell, all he knew was that Bones’s hand was slowly rubbing up and down his back in a way that made him forget about everything else. It was the one thing his own Bones did whenever Jim had a hard day, rubbing his back and talking to him until Jim felt glued back together again.   
“Love you,” Bones mumbled sleepily and Jim couldn't tell if either one of them was truly awake, but he didn't mind. It was Bones, that's all that mattered.   
Jim curled closer, letting himself forget the events of the day and listened to Bones breathing. As the hand on his back stilled he realized that he could feel the wedding band and bit back at the smile of marrying Bones.   
Bones in a suit, Bones actually admitting to being in love with him, Bones letting himself be the spectacle for once instead of hiding down in the Med Bay, Bones kissing him in front of everyone, everything about it sounded so perfect that Jim couldn't wait to get home and tell his own boyfriend. He’d probably scoff and tell him to lay down to be scanned for a head injury, but it had to be real.   
Moving himself closer, Jim felt Bones’s mouth brush against his forehead and fell into him, wrapping his arms around the man. He felt a little bit of guilt as he thought about what his older self would think about the situation, but could he really be mad at himself?   
“Jim.” He heard Bones’s strong voice reverberate between them and looked up, meeting sleepy blue eyes. “Go to sleep.”   
“Sorry, I thought you were asleep so I just-”  
“You're squirming.” Bones muttered and wrapped Jim up in his arms, resting his chin on top of his head in a way that felt so much like home that his heart was aching. “Stay still and get some sleep.”   
Jim nodded, closing his eyes and letting his arms fall around Bones’s waist. It felt so different but not nearly as bad as he expected, and this Bones had learned to stop fighting when Jim stole all the covers. He didn’t even grunt when Jim pressed his chilly toes against the warmth of Bones’s skin, closing his eyes and telling himself that he needed to get some sleep. The tingling sensation that radiated out from the other man’s touch was just memories of his own boyfriend back home.   
It was all fine until in his half awake and less than half sober stupor, Jim pressed his lips against Bones’s clothed shoulder. He was suddenly flooded with memories of every place on his boyfriend’s body that was especially sensitive and he blamed it on the alcohol, just like he blamed it for the growing sense of arousal within him.   
“What in the name of god are ya -”  
Jim grabbed Bones’s face and kissed him, throwing one arm around his neck. He couldn't himself - it was Bones, the same man he'd left behind and found again, the one who'd saved his life more times than he could count, who put him back together when he fell apart, he was everything and Jim needed more.   
“Jim, stop.”   
“Bones.” He complained, letting his lips run down the older man’s throat and holding himself closer. He was pressing his hips into Leonard’s, every cell in his body focused on making Bones feel good, wanting to hear if older Bones still moaned just as nicely or if he bit down on his lip in the same way. Jim needed more, his body felt like it was out of his control when he skimmed a hand under Leonard’s shirt and up his back to drag himself as close as possible.   
“You’re drunk.”   
“We’re married.”   
“I didn't marry _you,_ though.”   
“You kind of did.” Bones chuckled at Jim’s protests and wrapped his arms securely around the much younger man, pinning him close.   
“Fine kid, I'll show you something to try on your own boyfriend, then let me sleep.” Bones raised an eyebrow and Jim’s heart leapt. Bones raised one arm, pointing to the pulse point on his inner wrist. “Kiss right there.” Bones motioned before wrapping his arms around Jim again, closing his eyes as Jim was fighting the urge to try it out.  
“Really?”   
“Did you forget just how sensitive a doctor’s hands are? Now shut up and get to sleep. We’re gonna to try to get you home tomorrow so that I can get my husband back.”   
“Right.” Jim snorted, closing his eyes and letting his head rest against Bones’s chest. “Wouldn't want to break your hip or anything.”  
\--  
“Jim?” Leonard sat up, his comm chirping on the table. At some point in the night Jim fallen asleep wrapped up in the blankets and Leonard had passed out on the couch, empty glass in hand and fully clothed. His mouth tasted like a much worse version of whatever alcohol he’d been drinking and his shirt was twisted uncomfortably around his torso but his gut told him that he needed to wake up.  
He was used to waking up to the alarms on his comm and knew that he needed to get down to the Med Bay, barely taking a moment to brush his teeth before heading out. The anxiety was eating away at him and he felt the urge to get back to work, to bury himself in paperwork and minor engineering injuries until he forgot what was happening.  
As he swept into the Med Bay he felt all eyes on him, and assumed that it was due to the much older Jim Kirk that had been following him around like an overly dramatic lost puppy all day. He grabbed a stack of papers and moved toward the inviting mug of cuffee before he stopped, still feeling an awkward gaze on him.   
“What?” He barked out, daring anyone to say anything negative about Jim, no matter what state he was in.  
“You're not scheduled until late tonight, doctor.” Chapel said in passing, her nose buried in a long and technical looking report.   
“What? No. My alarm went off.”   
“Well I'm here until tonight, so unless I have an emergency, you're free.” She smiled briefly before walking away, leaving him dumbfounded. Since when did he mix up scheduling?  
Opening his comm, he fell into the nearest chair with his hand clapped numbly over his mouth. He must've scrolled through his unread messages five times before he could even begin to process what this meant, that somewhere, his Jim was alive.   
**Jim, 2404:** _Bones?_  
 **Jim, 2423:** _Bones, I love you_   
**Jim, 2436:** _I miss you_  
 **Jim, 0103:** _Please be getting these_   
**Jim, 0124:** _I need to get home to you._  
 **Jim, 0126:** _Leonard Horatio McCoy, if you're getting these and not answering me I'm not marrying you._   
**Jim, 0149:** _I love you._  
Walking back toward the Captain’s quarters he could only hope that the older Jim was still there, he had to show him. Jim had made contact! Could he actually respond? Jim knew that they were married and Leonard’s stomach dropped, he knew. Leonard couldn’t hide it or pretend he didn’t know, they were only together for six months and they already knew they were going to get married.   
**Me, 1036:** _Jim?_  
For a few seconds, Leonard stilled among the swarm of people moving about him, either eager to get off their shifts in various parts of the ship or sleepily making their way to clock in. He couldn't move until he knew for sure, watching each second tick by until a small chirp made his heart stop.   
**Jim, 1039:** _Sorry, wrong number. You took too long so this ‘Jim’ character moved onto an older version of you._  
Laughing uncharacteristically, Leonard practically ran the rest of the way back to Jim’s quarters. He pushed his was unceremoniously past anyone in his way and dove into his bed, glad to see Jim already awake and getting dressed.   
“He-you-whatever- He talked to me!” Leonard held up the comm as proof, allowing the older Jim to read all the messages. He blushed a little as he realized that he was sharing messages send by Jim to Jim, but thinking about that made his head hurt in a way only Jim and Spock were able to do.  
“Did you try calling?” Jim asked, raising an eyebrow theatrically.   
“No, I-” he paused, chewing on his lip. “I didn't even think of that.”   
“Let me.”  
Without waiting him took the comm from his hand, listening to the tinkling tone as they both waited anxiously to see what happened. With each ring Leonard’s stomach sank a little more, until he finally heard his own Jim’s voice.   
“Bones?”   
“Holy hell.” The older Jim breathed, eyes locking with Leonard’s.   
“This isn't Bones,” Jim said, sounding unsure and farther away from the microphone.   
“Jim?” Leonard spoke up, taking the comm back and shooting a glare at Jim. “Hey it's me.”   
“Bones what's going on?” He sounded hurried and he wished he could just will everything back to normal, but it seemed that it was going to take some work.   
“I don't know, but where are you?”   
“You're never going to believe this.” Leonard shot the older Jim a glance and chuckled to himself, clearly Jim had no idea that he’d been switched, somehow.   
“Try me.”  
“I'm with you. But not _you_ you. I'm with you in like, a couple decades. I know that sounds crazy but-”  
“No, no I believe you.” Leonard spoke quietly, afraid that if he broke the tension in the room Jim would disappear again.   
“Are you with-”  
“You.”   
Older Jim’s mouth fell open and he stood up, making his way across the room.   
“He's with my husband?” Jim whispered, leaning in close and Leonard get dizzy. One Jim was more than enough, he didn't know how he was going to handle two.   
“Jim?”   
Leonard dropped the comm in shock at the sound of his own voice coming unnaturally through the other side of the call. That was him, no doubt, and that solidified that this was in no way some sort of coma dream. He knew his own voice and it sounded almost ghostly to hear himself talk without moving his mouth.  
“Hey, Bones.” Older Jim laughed and Leonard instantly felt jealous. All he wanted was to talk to _his_ Jim. “How do you planning on getting me out of this mess?”  
“Dammit, Jim.” He heard himself and couldn't stifle the laugh that came from the absurdity of the situation.   
“Jim?” He spoke up, hoping he'd get a chance to speak.  
“Yes?”  
“Yeah?”  
Both Jim’s spoke at the same time, and Leonard lost it. Two Jim Kirks? That was the absolute last thing the universe needed.   
“Did you two manage to figure anything out?” He heard himself say and couldn't shake the shiver that came from his own voice speaking words he wasn't thinking.   
“No.”   
“Of course not.” Younger Jim piped up, the sound of his voice so far away making his chest ache.   
“Well, it seems that at the same time, both of our ships attempted to enter warp speed, and both of them had a malfunction.” Leonard nodded, watching the older Jim stare lovingly down at the comm.  
“So, how do we fix it?” Leonard asked, breaking the tension and watching Jim roll his eyes.   
“Ever watch a movie, Bones?” Younger Jim spoke up, not giving him a chance to answer as he started to speak again. “We recreate the situation at the same time and hope for the best.”  
“Oh god, Jim you seriously think that's going to work?”  
“You got a better idea?” Two voices demanded and he was taken aback, not sure he could handle arguing with two Jim's.   
“We’ll need to talk to Scotty and figure out exactly what happened.” The older version of himself broke the awkward silence, but Jim was still staring heavily at him. “Whoever figures it out first, call back and we’ll go from there.”   
“This is awkward.” Younger Jim’s voice cut through everyone else’s and Leonard laughed through the ache of missing him.   
“Stop drinking then!” He heard himself say and moved closer to the older Jim.   
“Jim, go talk to Scotty.” He spoke evenly, getting as close to the comm as he could.   
“I love you, Bones.” He heard the words whimpered and it broke his heart, wanting his own Jim back instead of this virtual stranger.  
“I love you too.”   
“See you soon.” He heard himself say and noticed the way older Jim still seemed somewhat nervous, twiddling with his wedding band.   
“Love you.”   
“Love you.”   
The call ended only a few moments before he saw Jim’s head fall into his hands, shoulders shrugged dramatically.   
“I’m going to go find Scotty,” Leonard offered, unsure of how much comfort he'd actually be able to provide. Although they were the same person, he wasn't this version of Jim’s husband, and didn't want to overstep any boundaries. “You coming?”  
“Sure.”   
Awkwardly leaving the room, Leonard made sure the comm was held tightly in his hand, just in case the other team figured something out first.   
It wasn't unlikely, as the older version of Jim stopped every few moments to reminisce about some seemingly unimportant part of the ship and a moment he'd experienced there, but Leonard let him go with barely a sigh. Jim had clearly given his life to the Enterprise and he wasn't about to offend his future husband, which was an odd thought in itself.  
“Oooh, little Bones!” He grabbed Leonard’s wrist and dragged him through the engineering bay, eyes bright with ideas in the most Jim Kirk style. “Come on, and I'll tell you about this time, which actually shouldn't be that far in the future for you, when, well, I'll just show you.”   
Leonard rolled his eyes and followed nonetheless back to an inconspicuous corner of the bay, watching Jim’s smile curl up as he stepped closer. He knew that smile, it was the one that always accompanied bad news for him and a rant of his own. It was never a good sign.  
“Which memory is this?” Leonard asked, flipping the comm open and checking for the upteenth time only to be met with an empty screen. It made his stomach drop, the thought of his Jim, bright eyes and charming smile, somewhere with an older version of himself.   
“You propose here.” Jim folded his arms and Leonard blushed, turning away. He watched all of the people in red shirts scurrying around, working to keep the ship running but it was impossible to spot Scotty from such distance.   
“Why here?”   
“What, am I supposed to basically propose to myself?” Jim laughed but must've seen the way Leonard’s jaw clenched, because he tried to cover it up with a cough.   
“This ship is my life.” He began, hand affectionately resting on the railing and eyes softening in a way he’d seen before. He knew how much Jim loved the Enterprise, it was his home in a way Earth would never be. “Even when I wasn't her Captain, when she was Decker’s or Pike’s, this was my whole life. And you knew it.”   
He was apparently finished, judging by the way he continued down the stairs as if the moment had never happened. Leonard waited a few paces and trailed behind, taking a chance to measure the way Jim’s body had changed. The outlines of muscle were still there, visible beneath the golden shirt, but he had changed with age. His hair had darkened near the roots and began to curl but he'd never lost his ability to strut, because Jim Kirk was an individual, he couldn't even walk like anyone else. He was a being that was entirely his own and Leonard loved every inch of him.  
\--  
“Captain. Doctor.” Spock greeted with a nod as he walked past without a second glance, but Jim was stopped dead in his tracks.   
“Spock!” He shouted, hurrying after the aging Vulcan before throwing his arms around him. He watched an arched brow raise in his direction as arms stayed stiffly at his sides, even as Jim’s heart felt like it was going to pound right out of his chest.   
“Yes, Captain?”  
“How'd you recognize me?” Spock stared at Jim over his shoulder as if it was the dumbest question he'd ever asked.   
“You're quite clearly Jim Kirk. Doctor, is this some sort of trick?”   
“No, Spock.” Jim felt Bones’s hand on his shoulder pulling him back, but he couldn't stop staring.   
Spock had clearly aged, but he looked exactly the same. His hair, his brows, the serious line of his mouth, the haughty way he held himself, it was all so similar to his own Spock. Seeing Spock fold his arms behind his back brought on a sudden wave of homesickness when he imagined his own Spock, somewhere, hopefully maintaining his ship.   
“Anything else, Captain?” Spock asked expectantly, eyes darting between Bones and Jim, and he couldn't help but blurt his biggest question out.   
“In this time, am I still, you know, Jim Kirk?”   
“No.” He nodded toward Bones and Jim get the hand on his shoulder tighten. “I remember that particular argument because it went on for a few months; you both wanted to have the same name but neither wanted to change theirs, and you two didn't speak for three days before Mister Sulu reminded you about hyphenation.”   
Jim nodded, glad that he had Bones’s hand to ground him. He hadn’t forgotten how literally Spock would take his question regarding his future personality, but was glad to see he hadn’t changed a bit.  
“So, I'm Jim Kirk-McCoy?” He asked, watching Spock nod.   
“And this is Doctor McCoy-Kirk.”   
“Weird.”   
“Will that be all, Captain?”   
“Do you know what happened to the ship yesterday?” Jim asked, his stomach fluttering excitedly when he saw Spock nodding again.   
“A power surge was caused by an attempt to enter warp speed while Mister Scott was still attempting to repair the warp core.”  
“Has he repaired it yet?” Bones interjected, causing Spock to raise an eyebrow disdainfully.   
“Highly doubtful, as his latest report claimed that it wouldn't be fully operational until we were able to reach a dock and could completely power down.”   
Jim started running toward the engineering bay, ripping the comm out of his pocket and praying that it would work at least one more time. He had to reach Bones, even as his sweaty palms threatened to let the communicator slip through.   
“Jim?”   
“Bones!” He shouted into the communicator, skidding around a corner. “We tried to enter warp speed while Scotty had the core powered down, make sure it's still broken!”  
“First time anyone’s asked for that.” Bones snorted, but Jim knew he understood. This was their chance.   
“And if it is?”   
“Twenty minutes. Get the other me back exactly where you found him and tell Sulu to hit warp speed and not ask questions.”   
“Jim.” He heard Bones’s solemn voice and stopped running, standing right before the entrance to the engine room.   
“Bones, if I don't make it-”  
“You'll make it.” He nodded, choking down the urge to collapse before walking in and instantly spotting Scotty.   
“Love you.”   
“Love you.”  
Plastering on his best smile, Jim grabbed Scotty’s upper arm. He'd set the limit for twenty minutes and didn't have a second to waste.   
“Captain! Good to see you-”   
“Is the warp core repaired yet?” Jim demanded, surprised to see Bones entering the room not far behind him.   
“No, like I said in my report-”  
“Don't touch a thing down here. There's going to be another surge.” He warned, watching Scotty’s eyes open wide in protest. “There's going to be a power surge and some lights might go out, but you'll have your regular Captain back.”   
Scotty nodded once before turning back to his work. It seemed that since his own time Scotty must have gotten used to his captain’s odd requests.   
“Where were you before you came to the Med Bay?” Bones demanded, a firm hand on Jim’s elbow guiding him back out into the corridor.   
“Captain’s chair in the bridge.” Jim glanced at his watch, he had 16 minutes and 43 seconds left to get to warp speed and pray that his Bones could get the job done.   
“Of course.” Bones mumbled, and chewed on his lip as they rushed toward the bridge. Jim’s brain was whirling as he mentally kept track of the seconds slipping past until it had to be done, until he could get home and start to process through everything that had happened.This was his chance to get home, to get back to his own ship and his own version of Bones, adding some insight into their future together. He resisted the urge to sprint up to the bridge when he felt Bones’s hand on his wrist to keep him close.   
“if you don't get home,” Bones’s voice was shaking a little and Jim checked his watch. 10 minutes.  
“I will.”   
“But if you don't, I mean, I wouldn't want you stuck married to an old man.”   
Jim grinned, knocking his fist lightly on Bones’s arm. He couldn't believe that Bones was actually offering to leave him alone if he got stuck in this time.   
“Seems like I already am, so what's the harm?”   
Falling into the Captain’s chair, Jim kicked one foot up over the armrest in an attempt to appear casual. Sulu looked over and gave him a small nod, enough to acknowledge that he was the captain but was still unsure about him.   
“Warp speed in ten, mister Sulu.” A strong sense of deja vu flowed through him and he remembered the last time he'd said those words.   
“Yes Captain.”   
“Time to get you home, kid.”   
Jim looked up at Bones, far too many emotions mingling within his chest. He was going to miss the older Bones and the strange attraction he had to the man so much older than himself, but he needed his own Bones. It was comforting to know that he ended up marrying his best friend but it wasn't enough just to know they were married, he needed to live it. He loved the way Bones had aged but he wanted to see it for himself, to be there for the first grey hair and the first time he got to hear ‘Doctor McCoy-Kirk’ and every single second of their life together.  
“It was nice meeting you.” Jim smirked, feeling Bones’s comforting presence as his watch ticked down the seconds.   
“I thought that I missed the younger you, all spry and handsome, but I don't think I'd be able to keep up with you.” Jim could hear Bones’s smile in his voice and it warmed his heart. “I'm ready to have my husband back.”  
\--  
“Warp in five, Captain.” Sulu’s voice rang out over the comm and Leonard leaned against the doorway, maintaining eye contact with Jim as he sat on their bed.   
“You're good for putting up with me.” Jim commented and Leonard smiled, looking down at his hands as he searched for the right thing to say.   
“Worth it.” He glanced up to see Jim staring at him like a man utterly in love and it made his heart skip. “Difficult, but worth it.”   
Jim rolled his eyes and Leonard reverted to watching the clock and silently hoping that his own Jim would be back soon. He couldn’t wait to finally be the oldest again, to have a Jim that could tuck easily into his chest or would get lost in Leonard’s old sweatshirts because they were double his size.   
“I loved you a long time before I told you.” Jim mentioned seriously as they hit the four minute mark on Leonard’s mental countdown. “Since the Academy.”   
Leonard blushed and thought for a moment about how he was supposed to respond to that. Of course he'd had feelings for Jim far before he'd voiced them, but he hadn't been sure if it had been reciprocated and wasn’t sure what to do when his beliefs had been contradicted.  
“I'll be sure to make fun of you for that.” Leonard watched Jim smirk and couldn't help but wonder how much he knew that Leonard didn't even know about himself. He knew decades worth into his future and was tempted to ask, but with only a few minutes left he decided to let it go, he’d just have to live it for himself.  
“Are we still in love?” Leonard blurted, drawing Jim’s attention. “You know, like, in your time.”   
“Absolutely.” Jim didn't even have to think before answering and it was a warm comfort. At least he knew that Jim was still just as in love with him and it wasn't anything like his previous marriage.   
“And I treat you right?”   
“Would I still be with you if you didn't?” Jim laughed as he folded his hands behind his head, reclining easily onto the bed.   
“Guess not.” Leonard nodded and watched him, his stomach twisting at the sight. His future husband laying right in front of him and his own Jim hopefully on the way back, it was a mess of Jim Kirk but he couldn't even pretend to be angry about it.   
“Can't wait to see what this is like on the other side.” Leonard smirked as he felt the ship shift, one step closer to warp speed.  
“Warp in 60 seconds, Doctor.” He heard Sulu’s sure voice and was glad that Jim had such total trust in his crew. He trusted them as much as possible, even if he’d never admit it.  
“Mm, I'm sure it'll be just as confusing.”   
The lights began to flicker and Leonard clutched the doorway, taking in the last few seconds he had with this version of Jim. He was calmer and seemed more sure of himself, and Leonard could only hope that he'd been able to get over the George vs. Jim identity crisis that plagued his darkest nights and the time on Tarsus he drank to forget.  
He closed his eyes as he hears Sulu counting down the last few seconds before there was another flash and he was tossed back, the force slamming any air out of his lungs. It took a few seconds before Leonard could breathe again, already fighting his way upright because he needed to know.  
Clambering up, Leonard blinked past the stars in his vision and felt sick when he saw the empty bed. He jerked up and ran full force toward the bridge, his mind screaming the worse possible scenarios at him.   
_What if the older Jim was gone, but his own Jim didn't come back? What if he'd screwed up and was left all alone? What if he'd lost his future husband twice in one go?  
Climbing the last few steps to the bridge, his heart faltered. Everyone’s eyes were on him but he didn't see the only ones that mattered, the blue eyes he was searching for. He pushed his way closer to the Captain’s chair, back still aching and chest burning from the shock but he put the thoughts aside until he knew. _   
“Is he here?” He whispered, finding Spock’s unsettling gaze in the crowd. “Is he back?”  
Suddenly arms flung around his neck, almost setting him off balance when a face buried itself in his neck. His heart felt like it stopped when he felt strong fingers pressing possessively into the back of his neck, creeping up toward his hair.   
“Bones.” He heard the name whispered against his skin as the full length of Jim’s body plastered to his. He didn't even know what he was feeling or if he felt anything at all when he felt Jim’s lips against his.   
His Jim. His normal Jim who he'd woken up to every morning for the last few months and fell asleep listening to him snore, the same Jim who’d slammed him into a wall and yelled at him about how stupid he was for not seeing how much Jim loved him, Jim who he was going to live out the rest of his life with.   
“Missed you.” Jim mumbled and Leonard realized that he was basically supporting Jim’s whole body. He felt Jim’s face press into his shoulder once more and pushed him back, clearing his throat and needing to get a look at him.   
He was taking in every tiny detail of his face; the same eyes, same scar, same half fake self assured smile, the same Jim. He held Jim’s face in his hands and watched as he turned his head to the side, lips grazing across the inside of his wrist.  
Suddenly, it felt like his knees were going to buckle right there, and he had to remind himself how to breathe. His whole body was blushing and hypersensitive and Jim was grinning, obviously smug with what he'd done but all Leonard could think about was how much of his blood was rushing below his belt.   
“What in god’s name was _that?”_ He whispered, grabbing Jim’s shoulder and practically dragging him from the room.   
“Just something old you showed me.” Jim was still smirking and leaned closer to Leonard, even though his skin felt like it was on fire. “Well, older you, since you're already an old man.”   
“Shut up.”  
Leonard grabbed the front of Jim’s shirt and kissed him firmly, grounding himself in the feeling of his own Jim being back. He let the fear that he'd lost him for good flow out of him as he felt Jim’s hands on his arms, keeping him as close as possible. Jim was back, and he wasn’t letting go.  
“I love you.” Jim muttered and grabbed Leonard's hands, seeming to study them. His eyes were focused and Leonard was tempted to ask what he was doing, but was still distracted from the lingering tingles running through his wrists.  
“I love you too.”Leonard answered and saw a smile on Jim’s face. “Learn anything else interesting?”   
“Well, apparently when we get married you insist on changing your last name to Kirk, but I, ever the good man, talk you into hyphenating it. You know, because I wouldn't want you to ever not be Doctor McCoy.”   
“For some reason, I doubt the credibility of your story.” Leonard’s face flushed when he saw Jim’s eyes meet his, somehow so different from the man he'd spent the last day with.   
“Why? I heard it from you, and you they always say the elderly tell the best stories.”  
Leonard pulled away, listening to Jim’s protests struggling to form through his laughter. He’d fear that he lost this, the young Jim Kirk who was still free of many of the ghosts that haunted the older version’s eyes, his light hair sticking out at odd angles that would look ridiculous on anyone else.  
“I'm sending you back.”   
“No you're not.”  
“Won't be my problem anymore.”   
“You _love_ me too much.” Jim practically sang in his ear and Leonard couldn't argue that. He was shocked that anyone could look at Jim for more than a moment, could see his perfect smile and the way his eyes could make anyone feel like the most important in the world, and not fall in love with him.  
“Well, I might need to give you a vaccine just in case you picked anything up-”   
_“No.”_  
“Come on Jim, you could get us all sick!”  
“I swear.” Jim started as Leonard turned around, tearing the shoulder of his shirt open, maintaining as much eye contact as he could. “You have a kink for this.”  
“And you have a badly hidden daddy kink, but are we gonna talk about that, or are we just going to keep pretending that you didn't definitely try to get it on with the older me?” Leonard couldn't help but smirk at the shocked look on Jim’s face as he administered the general vaccine, hoping it would be enough to protect Jim from viruses that didn't even exist yet in their time.   
“How the _hell_ did you know that?”   
“I didn't.” He kissed Jim’s lips once with a smile. “Not until now.”   
“Perverted old man.”   
“Drama queen.”   
“Love you.”  
“Love you more, kid.”

**Author's Note:**

> Rereading this old fic made me want to write shitty de-aged fics send help  
> Bones is an old man in love with his space husband.


End file.
